Below is today’s top news relating to Google+, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. Adoption Rates Google+ Vaulting Past 10 Million User Mark by eWeek’s Clint Boulton covers the stats behind Google+’s massive user influx. This report comes on the heels from Paul Allen’s report of 4.5 million users yesterday. Boulton [...]

CDBaby* is an online distributor of independent music. Founded by well-known entrepreneur Derek Sivers, the service became a huge hit with independent musicians because it offered the first easy way for artists to distribute and sell their music online. Sivers, a professional musician, took CDBaby on a unique path that differentiates it from many other businesses [...]

Russian search engine Yandex has launched an English-language version of Yandex.Webmaster, its suite of webmaster tools. The service can be reached at webmaster.yandex.com. If you’ve used the Google and/or Bing webmaster portals, Yandex’s will be familiar to you. On sign-up, users have five options to confirm site ownership: HTML file, meta tag, text file, WHOIS [...]

Hashtags are the world’s chat room. Where else can you hop on the phone or computer and have an instant, passionate conversation about something that shares a hashtag? When it comes to primetime television, current events, or sports events like the Olympics or the Super Bowl, hashtags allow anyone with a Twitter account to take [...]

Global growth in search marketing spend slowed in the second quarter, according to reports from two large agencies, Covario and Efficient Frontier. Data released this week is consistent with an earlier report from Citibank. According to Efficient Frontier, search spend grew only 8% in the second quarter, as compared to the same period in 2010. [...]

Based on the growth of active users in markets such as Russia and Turkey, maybe it’s time to consider changing the targeting of your international business. Meanwhile, the most active users and the most active population in Europe right now is Dutch! Who would’ve guessed?

Today is the 450th Anniversary of the St. Basil’s Cathedral, which had its groundbreaking in 1555 and was officially completed on July 12, 1561. It is a Russian Orthodox church erected on the Red Square in Moscow. The building looks like no other building in Russia and has 9 domes and 2 spires. Their official [...]

Following a relatively successful launch in Portland last month Google is now rolling out Google Offers in two more markets: San Francisco and New York. Google has also updated its Shopper Android app to include deals. The app is generally focused on products but now contains tabs that allow users to access the featured daily [...]

Bing has announced a set of much-needed tweaks to the Bing Maps user interface. Rather than scattering navigation options both above and below (not to mention off to the side of) the map itself, all menu options are now accessible in a nav bar that stretches across the screen above the map. It’s a much [...]

Google is reportedly developing technology that would create a market for data designed to help target display ads better, according to a report in Ad Age that cites “executives familiar with Google’s plans.” The story says the data exchange is known internally as “DDP,” and, according to comments made by Google ad chief Neil Mohan, [...]

As Google+ goes into its second week of life, how’s the service doing? I could quote some numbers. I will, below! But I wanted to do a personal take contrasting it against another social site that I find essential. Not Facebook. Twitter. Me & Facebook Yes, I have a personal Facebook account. But I do [...]

Below is today’s top news relating to Google+, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. Problems & Changes Changes Are Coming To Google+ – From ComputerWorld, a report that the many Google+ criticisms are making their way to top Google execs, and that changes will be rolled out this week. [...]

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About The Author

Matt McGee is the Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. After leaving traditional media in the mid-1990s, he began developing and marketing websites and continued to provide consulting services for more than 15 years. His SEO and social media clients ranged from mom-and-pop small businesses to one of the Top 5 online retailers. Matt is a longtime speaker at marketing events around the U.S., including keynote and panelist roles. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. You can read Matt's disclosures on his personal blog.